Fat Burners

Fat Burners primarily work as they contain both Caffeine and a number of B vitamins. The agents in Fat burners are thermogenics, which essentially means that they work by dramatically speeding up the body’s metabolic rate. Fat burning pills also often contain a number of different stimulants, these activate your central nervous system which in turn raise your metabolic rate. Another way in which Fat loss supplements work is that they control the blood sugar levels, which modulates the release of stored fat to be used as an energy source. Finally, FBPs often contain appetite suppressants. It is clear that if you eat less, you will have a lower calorie intake and therefore be much more likely to achieve your aim of a calorie deficit.

What are the common ingredients in Fat Burning Pills?

While briefly touched upon previously, the main active ingredients in FBPs are Caffeine, Green Tea Extract, L-Tyrosine, Chromium, Guarana Extract & Theobromine, Citrus Aurantium, Cayenne Pepper, CLA and L-Carnitine.
Firstly, caffeine is simply a potent thermogenic which will help you burn fat for the reasons specified above.

Green tea extract is renowned for its pro-metabolic properties. It contains vitamins, minerals and caffeine. In relation to FBPs, the most important component of green tea extract is EGCG which is a polyphenol. Polyphenol allocates more energy towards physical expenditure, which helps to support weight loss.

L-Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid that the body synthesises from Phenylalanine. It is essential in the support of all proteins throughout the body and also helps to produce adrenaline and noradrenaline. Vitamin B6 often found in FBPs converts the L-Tyrosine into an agent that raises your metabolic rate.

Chromium is an essential trace mineral that regulates carbohydrate and fat metabolism in order to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Due to this it has been reported to have qualities that speed up the process of fat loss and help the production of lean body mass.
Guarana extract contains both caffeine and theobromine. Theobromine is known to reduce appetite and to increase weight loss as it stimulates the central nervous system and raises your metabolic rate.
Citrus Aurantium consists of a number of elements that both stimulates your metabolic rate and suppresses your appetite. Citrus Aurantium is commonly taken in conjunction with St. John’s Wort and caffeine.
Surprisingly, studies have shown that Cayenne Pepper is in fact an extremely effective weight loss aid. It increases thermogenesis (raises body temperature) which burns calories, while mildly suppressing appetite.
CLA is otherwise known as Conjugated linoleic acid. It is a naturally occurring fatty acid which helps the body lower the amount of fat stored after meals, while also helping to break it down. It has been shown to burn body fat and also aid in appetite suppression.

Finally, L-Carnitine plays an important role in the oxidisation of fat and carbohydrates. It has been suggested that L-Carnitine aids fat loss by using up the body’s stores.

What are the downsides to Fat Burning Pills?

There are a number of potential problems that may arise when taking FBPs, it is important to balance these against potential gains when assessing whether or not to start a course:

Those with pre-existing kidney or liver problems should avoid.

FBPs lead to dehydration, it is important while taking them to hydrate regularly.

It may be harder to sleep at night with the increased caffeine content.

You could feel a ‘jittery’ effect.

When is it best to take Fat Burners?

Due to one of the main components of most Fat burning pills being caffeine, it is strongly recommended that you take them in the morning rather than at night. FBPs often stimulate your central nervous system, which can make it much harder to sleep. Experts suggest that FBPs have the best effects when taken 30-40 minutes before your workout, in order to increase the release of free fatty acids just when you need them. Appetite suppressants are best taken an hour before mealtime in order to achieve optimal effects.

How much weight should I expect to lose?

Overall weight loss will mainly be down to both your diet and your exercise regime. A rough estimate is you will lose an extra 5-6lbs over an 8 week period.

How long should you be taking Fat Burners for?

They should be taken in a cycle. It is suggested that in general you shouldn’t take them for more than 8 weeks at a time.

Can Fat Burning Pills be taken in conjunction with other supplements?

It is widely accepted that they should be taken alongside a suitable diet and exercise regime, yet people don’t often know whether or not they can be taken alongside any other supplements. It is absolutely fine to take FBPs with other supplements, for example Whey Protein – studies have shown that a mix of supplements will often benefit the user more than the products on their own.